Why Is The Giving Tree Banned or Controversial?
The Giving Tree is more controversial than banned. The dispute is over what the story teaches: some readers see unconditional love, others see a selfish boy and a tree who gives until she is destroyed. The best-known ban was at a Colorado public library in 1988, on the grounds that the book was sexist.
There is no widespread ban, and it is still widely sold and read.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Main dispute | Is the tree loving, or is she being used? |
| Best-known challenge | A Colorado public library, 1988 |
| Reason given | Sexism: a giving female tree and a taking boy |
| Overall status | Widely sold, taught and read |
Why do people argue about it?
The librarian Elizabeth Bird, writing for School Library Journal, called it one of the most divisive books in children's literature. The argument is about whether the relationship between the boy and the tree is positive or negative.
Critics point out that the boy never thanks the tree for her gifts.
↑ Back to the topWas it ever banned?
In 1988 a public library in Colorado removed the book on the grounds that it was sexist: the tree is described as a woman who gives everything, and the child she gives to is a boy. The argument was that the story promotes female self-sacrifice.
↑ Back to the topWhat else do critics say?
Some parents and teachers object that the boy is a poor example for children, because he takes without giving anything back. Some curricula use the book as an example of what not to do in a relationship. Environmental readers see the tree as a picture of nature being used up.
Not all of this has led to bans. Most of it is discussion about how to read the story.
↑ Back to the topWhat did the author say?
Pressed to defend the book, Silverstein said it is simply a relationship between two people, one who gives and one who takes. He did not claim a single moral.
↑ Back to the topMore about The Giving Tree
This guide covers the 1964 picture book. Page counts vary by edition and by how unnumbered pages are counted.